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I wondered if I should keep things light or address the elephant in the room and try to actually have a serious discussion with her about how I felt. How she felt. Because no matter how she tried to deny it, she felt it, too. I could see it on her face, hear it in the tremble of her voice, feel it in the magnetism between us.
I was walking a razor's edge. If I told her how I felt about her, she might shut me out completely—and permanently. Was that a risk I was willing to take?
I didn't know. And not knowing was my answer. So, I decided to keep it light. Do exactly the opposite of what I had told Brooke only moments earlier. I decided to play it safe.
Mr. Patak, the owner of the restaurant, and my friend's dad was walking out of the kitchen as we entered. He immediately greeted us. “Emerson!” he called to me, his voice colored with a heavy Indian accent. “So good to see you, my boy!”
“Good evening, Mr. Patak,” I replied.
He walked over to us with a large grin pasted across his face and extended a hand to me. I took it, and he shook my hand vigorously, grinning all the while. “How are you? And, who is this lovely young lady? Is this your girlfriend?”
He extended a hand to Brooke and shook her hand gently.
“No, no,” I insisted, maybe a bit too hastily. “She's my neighbor. Brooke, this is Mr. Patak, owner of this fine establishment.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, a real pleasure!” he said. “Such a beauty! Why are you and Emerson not girlfriend and boyfriend? You two are both so good looking. You could have such lovely-looking children.”
We both laughed, albeit somewhat uncomfortably, and I could see Brooke blushing.
“Oh, I'm just too busy for a boyfriend,” she said, her cheeks still glowing red.
He shook his head and held up his forefinger as if he was about to make a profound point. “No, no, no. Nobody should be too busy for love! Love, young lady, that is what life is all about. Without it, well, life is like eating only bowls of plain white rice. Yes, it will keep you alive, but life will be so bland and boring and flavorless that you will wonder if you're really doing anything beyond merely existing and surviving. Love, young lady, that is the spice, the herbs, the exotic dishes and flavors and aromas that make life worth living! Don't make yourself too busy with merely surviving. One has to live, as well.”
She smiled at his words of wisdom. They were delivered with such charm and sweet sincerity that all she could do was beam a smile at him. Hell, even I felt a bit warm and fuzzy inside after hearing it. I knew, though, that once Mr. Patak started talking, he wouldn't stop, so I gently steered Brooke in the direction of the nearest table.
“Can we sit here, Mr. Patak?” I asked.
“Of course, of course.”
“Sorry, we're just in a bit of a rush. We're both in the same chemistry class, and we've got a lot of work to get done over the weekend.”
“I see, I see. Well, then, I won't take up any more of your time. I'll send a waiter over with some menus right now. I must get back to the kitchen anyway; we have new staff, and I have to be strict with them to make sure they get things right. You know how I… how do you say… run a tight ship?”
“That's right, Mr. Patak. And you run the best ship in town!”
“Oh, thank you, my boy, thank you! Oh, and I must tell Sanjay that you came by.”
“Yeah, please do. I was chatting with him on Facebook just the other day. Seems like he's enjoying medical school.”
“Oh, he is! And, he is doing so well! His mother and I are so proud of him. Anyway, off with me! I'll send a waiter over.” With that, Mr. Patak hurried off and shortly after a waiter arrived with menus.
“You know him pretty well, huh?” Brooke remarked.
“Yeah, like I said, I went to school with Sanjay, his son.”
“He seems like a really nice man.”
“Oh yeah, but he'll talk your ear off if you let him.”
She chuckled and I hoped that meant the walls might be coming down a bit. “I can see that,” she replied, the smile fading as quickly as it had appeared.
Back to business, it seemed.
“So, what do you recommend?” she asked. “They don't take too long to prepare the meals, do they?”
“Nah, Mr. P will get them done quickly because I just told him we're in a hurry. Um, man, there are so many great dishes here, it's kinda hard to pick a single one to recommend. I'd say the korma curry or the dhal makhani. Those are my go-to dishes. With garlic naan bread or butter naan. And maybe some samosas on the side, too. They make to-die-for samosas.”
“What's a samosa?”
